Locking mechanism for rotary snap electric switches.



J. G. PETERSON. LOOKING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY SNAP ELECTRIC SWITCHES.

APPLIUATIOH FILED SEPT. 23, 1910.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHANN G. PETERSON, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE ARROW IiiLIiG'lIEtIC COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTI- CU T LOCKING MECHANISM non ROTARY SNAP ELECTRIC SWITCHES.'

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

Application filed September 23, 1910/ Serial No. 583,390.

and which releases the commutator or polecarrying parts after the spring has been given suiticient tension to quickly throw the parts.

The object of the invention is to provide a very simple, durable and easily operated mechanism which is cheaply constructed and readily assembled, and which is particularly adapted for rotary snap switches of rela-- tively large carrying capacity.

In the embodiment 01' the invention illustrated, the carrier-plate, which has project- Ing lugs for sulpporting the movable switch a poles, is provic d with slots into which extend lugs that. project from the ratchetplate. These slots and lugs guide the ratchet in a straight line, transversely of the operating spindle, when it is moved by the operating cam that .is fixed to the spindle, and which lies in a slot in the ratchet-plate. iVhen the spindle is turned, the cam draws the ratchet tooth, that pro ects from. the plate, radially inward from engagement with lugs that are turned up from the lockplate which is fixed with relationwto the base of the switch.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a plan of the base of a switch with a lock-plate located in a recess in its upper face. Fig. 2 shows a bottom view of the switch mechanism removed from the base. Fig. 3 shows a plan and a side view of the lockplate. Fig. 4 shows a plan and a side view of the ratchet-plate. and a side view of the carrier-plate. 6 shows a top view of the carrier-plate, ratchet-plate and lock-plate. Fig.7 showsa side view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 6.

Fig. 5 shows a plan F 1g.

corresponding shape, is placed the lock-plate 3. This lock-plate has acentralperforation i for the passage of the operating spindle and upwardly projecting lugs 5 for the engagement of the ratchet-tooth. The plate illustrated stamped from metal and has four integral lugs bent upwardly from one side.

- As is quite common in rotary snap switches, the operating spindle 6 (Fig. 2) has an eccentric cani 7. This cam, while fixed to and turning with the spindle, lies in an Opening'S in the ratchet-plate 9. The ratchet-plate hasa tooth 10 which projects from one edge and is adapted to engage the flat back surfaces of the. lugs that are bent up from the lock-plate. The ratchet-plate alsohas two upwardly projecting lugs 11 These lugs are desirably bent upwardly from the plate so as to extend radially on' diametrically opposite sides of the axis of the spindle. The carrier-plate 12, which Is the shorter of which are designed to carry the lower movable poles 1%, while the'longer illustrated, has upwardly projecting lugs 13,

are designed to carry the upper movable poles 15. These poles are of ordinary form and common material. and are mounted in the usual manner, and forming no partof the present invention, are not specificially illustrated and described herein.

The carrier-plate has two slots 16. These slots extend radially, and extending into them are'the guiding-lugs 11 which project from the ratchet-plate. As a result of this construction, when the cam is. rotated by turning the operating spindle, the ratchetplate is caused to move transversely of the spindle in a straight line, and the ratchettootlrto be drawn radially inward until it is disengaged from the lug of the lock-plate against which it is bearlng. As is usual in switches of this character, by the time the ratchet-tooth is disengaged from the lockplate, the operating spring is under sufficient tension to throw the poles rapidly." -The ratchet-plate has its edge so shaped adjacent to the base of the tooth that when the ratchet-tooth lies againsta lug of the locleplate, as shown in Fig. 4, the lug occupies a slight depression 17 in the edge ofthe ratchet-plate at the base of the tooth, in such manner as to preventthe ratchetplate from being moved backward. In this organization, the ratchet-tooth which en- I pactly.

gages with a. locking-lug is drawn radially inward in a straight line when the cam is turned; and can be shaped on its engaging face sothat there is but very little friction between 'the parts when the tooth is moved for unlocking the mechanism. The ratchettooth is strong, as are also the locking-lugs. A long surface on the edge of the ratchettooth engages a wide surface on the lockinglugs so that there is but little wear, consequently the mechanism is very durable. The carrier-plate is strong and easily 'formed, and it guides the ratchet-plate in an easy manner. As the ratchet-tooth moves outward as soonasv it is released from a locking-lug, it projects far enough from the leverage when stopping the parts, thrown, and asthe ratchet-tooth moves inward from the lockin -lug, rather than outward, the mechanism may be built com The invention claimed is:

1. In a rotary snap electric switch, the combination with-a base, of a lock-plate provided with locking-lugs, carried-thereby, a ratchet-plate having a ratchet-tooth and ing lugs,

after they have been.

upwardly extending guiding-lugs, a carrierplate having means for supporting the switch polesand provided with radial slots into which extend the guiding-lugs of the ratchet-plate, and rotary means engaging the ratchet-plate, whereby the ratchet-tooth is moved radially inward from with a locking-lug on the lock-plate when the said rotatory means are turned.

'2; A locking mechanism for a rotary snap electric switch having a look-plate provided with locking-lugs, a ratchet-plate provided with a ratchet-tooth adapted to engage the locking-lugs, and also provided with guida carrier-plate provided with means for supporting the movable switch poles and having slots designed to receive the lugs projecting from the ratchet-plate, and a cam, turning ratchet-plate and when so turned causing the ratchet-tooth to be moved radially inward from engagement with a locking-lug.

JOHANN G. PETERSON.

engagement v in an opening in the 

